When the Time Comes
by Captain Raye
Summary: Rin is awaiting Sesshoumaru's arrival, but is she ready to leave the village behind? And why did Kaede give her a strange necklace? Set after end of series. Rin/Sessh. Rated T for adult themes. Second fic! R&R
1. Beginning

**Ohaithur. This is my second fic, and I actually wrote this as a spur of the moment at midnight, after binging all day on Sessh/Rin fluff and Inuyasha: The Final Act. I'm still not the greatest writer, but I'm always trying to improve! So, I will only continue on with this story if you enjoy it, so please R&R! C:**

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Inuyasha, or else I wouldn't be writing a FANfiction.**

She awaits him, sitting upon a tree stump freshly cut that morning. They are building yet another hut to accommodate the growing population of the village, now regarded as a safe haven since the slayers of Naraku reside there.

Rin smelled the excitement in the air, the new life, the spring. Flowers surrounded her, filling the wind with the scent of fresh blossoms, greeting her gently by brushing a strand of hair from her face. But she was still melancholy, despite the mood in the air. She waited in the meadow for her lord every month on the full moon, hoping with a heavy heart that he will soon return to her. It had been years since she saw him last, the presents he left always a pleasant surprise that reinstated hope inside her that he was near.

She was now quite a beautiful young lady, though she didn't act it, refusing to wear shoes even in the winter, claiming that it made her feel at one with the earth.

The earth she once spent roaming about with Sesshoumaru.

She suppressed a sigh and hugged her flower-embroidered kimono close, the spring still a new concept as the winter cold had not yet thawed from the land. Being 15 years of age meant that she had taken on more responsibilities, both to the elder miko and to herself; and she was sure that meant that this was the year. The year she would have to choose.

Back in the hut she shared with the miko Kaede and her small kitsune companion Shippo, Rin's mind was still not at ease. She gripped a wooden up in her hand, the once hot tea now a bland, lukewarm shadow of what it once was, neglected by the distraught girl. Distracted, she stared down at the floorboards.

"Aye, what be ailin' ye, young one?," the crone prodded, obviously worried about the girl's mental state.

"Oh!," Rin snapped from her trance, placing her cold leaf-water on the table in front of her, "I was just...thinking about the spring. Many of the villagers will marry and move away, now that the weather is nice."

"I suppose...," came Kaede's reply, eying her curiously, "And what of you, little Rin? Do you dream of being married off and leaving this place?"

Rin was surprised at the woman's suggestion, shaking her head with vigor at the thought. "No, my lady! Rin has no intentions to wed!"

Kaede chuckled as a knowing smile twisted her withered lips, hiding it behind her cup as she lifted it to her mouth to drink.

"And what of Sesshoumaru?"

Rin's cheeks flushed with a hot fire, darkening her sun kissed skin that was tanned by long hours of picking herbs and daydreaming in the meadow. "What of him...?"

"It's been six long years now, my child. He has no doubt been waiting for this moment, when you are of marrying age. So tell me, would you be able to leave this village behind to spend the rest of your days traveling with an inuyoukai?"

Rin swallowed visibly, her eyes since fallen to her lap. Could she leave all of them? Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and even little Shippo? She had never considered this before, that leaving with Sesshoumaru would mean abandoning her friends—no—family forever. Her head was now swimming, and Lady Kaede took it as an opportunity to give her a few words of wisdom.

"When the time is correct, you will know what to do."


	2. Arrival

**Aisheteru, my friends. 3 Thank you for reviewing and adding me to your alerts, as it has inspired me to write this next chapter. **

**I know it's been, like, FOREVER but I've been busy. D: I've been writing and re-writing this chapter to get the mood I wanted, and I still don't like it, but people have been waiting for it! So, I hope you enjoy! xD**

**Disclaimer: We all know I'm not Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, I do not own Inuyasha. :c**

_Would today be the day? _

It was all she could think about during her time in the field, picking herbs for the elder miko to concoct into elixirs and potions for the sick. She wished there were a potion to cure her impatience, the itching urge to see the hint of silver and white she knew to be her lord.

"Rin-chan!," came an all too familiar voice, one that instantly made her smile, "Lady Kaede's worried, you've been gone for hours! What have you been up to?"

She snapped from her daze and smiled at Kagome, her long-time friend and adoptive sister, "Oh, just lost in thought. Rin picked many herbs, though!" Her classic grin now spread from ear-to-ear at the sight of the bloated miko that was pregnant with her first born, an event Rin had been waiting for. Sango and the monk had already born five. "Kagome-san, you really shouldn't be on your feet. Surely Kaede didn't ask you to..-?," she asked, cut off by Kagome's fullhearted giggle, "No, of course not! I stopped by to see if she needed any help and we got to talking and she mentioned that you've been missing."

Rin's face flushed a soft pink, picking up her woven basket that was now heavy with medicinal plants, "Sorry, Kagome-chan. Rin didn't mean to worry anyone..." She looked down at her feet shyly, embarrassed and upset that she had made her elder sister worry.

Kagome only nodded in reply, smiling at her warmly as if she understood that Rin needed time alone, especially with Sesshoumaru's supposed arrival fast approaching. Sesshoumaru and Kaede's agreement was that six changes of the seasons would pass before he came back for her, and it was now just a matter of time before he fulfilled that promise.

"Rin will walk back on her own," she started, looking up to see the concerned face of her companion, "That is, if Kagome-san wishes.."

Kagome chuckled and ruffled Rin's long tresses, making the younger woman pout and shake her head to fix her mess of hair, "Of course, Rin-chan. I'll see you back at Kaede's."

The young miko headed off alone, waddling quickly back to the village elder's hut and leaving a small maiden in her dust to think.

No one knew what today meant to Rin, and why it was so important that she be alone on this secret holiday. She even dressed up for the occasion, wearing her finest silk kimono that was colored orange—her favorite color—and embroidered with pink lotuses, tied with a deep violet obi that showed off just how much her curves had developed. Her hair was tied up with combs and she had washed her face even longer that morning to look less like a dirty street urchin, looking relatively beautiful in the early afternoon light. She sighed and blew a few pieces of stray hair from her hair, clomping her way back to Kaede's house lethargically as she hoped to Kami her savior would come. Her heart called out to him; this was something she did often as a child, and she found that he usually came to her when she did. She could never explain their connection, nor understood why it was there, but it was...and she was thankful for it. What many didn't know was that today was the day her lord had saved her from those wretched wolves, breathing life back into her with Tenseiga; the first time he saved her life. Thinking about the event both filled her with pride and grief, remembering her life before the daiyoukai and deciding that it wasn't much of a life at all.

The trees were waving happily in the wind, blowing the fresh aroma of flowers to her nose and tickling her exposed neck, the girl envious of the fact that the plants could be so happy when she was not. Why is it that they were allowed to live so long, grow so tall, and never have to worry about love? It wasn't fair. _'If I were to be reincarnated, I want to be a flower...,'_ she thought, swaying with the wind as she looked up to the sky, still dragging her way back to the old hut, _'To be free. I want to be free...'_

Fallen leaves slapped against her kimono with a strong force, the winds growing stronger and stronger with each passing second, whipping her hair and silk layers all around her in almost a warning. An especially strong gust blew the comb right from her hair, her neat bun falling from its perch on the back of her head and throwing her hair every which way without a care. She gasped and ran for her comb, which had carried quite a distance before it fell onto the ground. She scrambled on the grass for her precious hairpiece, her hair slapping her in the face and blinding her temporarily, her hands frantically searching for the wooden object. Though, her hand didn't land on anything small or wooden.

It landed on a boot.

A pointy boot.

Her breath hitched in the back of her throat and she brushed her hair back with her fingers, craning her neck upwards to see who stood before her.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama...?"

**A/N: Yep, totally left you with a cliffhanger. Don't worry, I'll try not to take so long to post this time. The chapters are short, but hey, I have school! Seniors 2012, woo!**

**I may post a couple drabbles here and there when I get the inspiration, but I have the storyline for this fic allllll planned out, so you can count on me to finish it. No matter how long it takes.**

**R & R! I love you guys. :D**


	3. Welcome

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back! (Kind of.) Sorry about my absence, I started my Senior year in Highschool (oh goody), and have been working my butt off. Got accepted to a college already! Woo!  
>Anywaay~ I hope you enjoy this chapter, because all the notes I wrote down about it don't make sense to me anymore, so I'm pretty much wingin' it... .<strong>

**Disclaimer: Do I seem like the type of person that owns an anime series? Didn't think so.**

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama...?" 

The small teenager scrambled to her feet and bowed respectfully to the demon lord, her brain so frazzled that she wasn't sure how to react to his presence. He was as cold as ever, staring down his nose at her nonchalantly, as if he hadn't been gone for years. He didn't speak.

This made her feel even more nervous, and the silence struck her as odd. She looked around curiously, spinning in circles around herself as she inspected the area.  
>"Where's Master Jaken?" <p>

As her lord made a move to speak, a loud squawking noise sounded from not too far off, the ground shaking as large paws slammed happily against the earth, a large form barreling towards her at a recognizably demonic speed. 

Rin grinned from ear to ear at the large form, instead of wincing or running away screaming like most humans would do. "Ah-Un~!," she yelped happily, the large two-headed beast skidding to a halt once it saw her. Both heads lowered and sniffed her through the muzzle in various places, and nuzzled her on both sides when it was sure she was alright. She squealed with giggles, a noise that set Sesshoumaru on edge, though not as much at the screeching coming from a small green imp tangled in the reigns of said dragon.

"YOU IDIOTIC BEAST!," came his shrill voice, his little scaled hands clawing at the ropes tied tightly around his whole torso, "I TOLD YOU TO STOP, AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED! YOU, YOU S-S-S...ss...stupi..." His furious rant was put to a steady stop when he spotted his seething master, looming over him with darkened features and a slight scowl curling his normally stoic expression.

If he were in his full demon form, his ears would no doubt be folded downward from the plethora of obnoxious noises. Jaken's rage melted away instantly and he moved from struggling to groveling at the young master's feet, an act performed so often that it was often ignored. As it was, again.

Sesshoumaru took one swift step to the cuddling trio, only speaking once. He never spoke twice.  
>"Let us go get your things." <p>

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Rin's clothes were all shoved into Ah-Un's saddlebags to Sesshoumaru's dismay, his ego being hurt by the thought of all of those expensive kimonos he had made especially for her being carelessly crammed into small messenger bags to be hung off a clumsy flying dragon. He felt faint.

The priestess had exiled all the demons to sit outside of her home as she spoke privately to the young woman, giving the villagers quite a scare to walk outside just to see the Lord of The Western Lands brooding underneath a tree about flowery kimonos with a small green imp crying big blobs of snot and salty tears yards away, howling at the top of his tiny lungs about how badly he would be punished this time for disturbing his master's sensitive ears. Ironic.

Inside the small hut, the two women were huddled around a fire in silence, both having an infinite amount of things to say but not being able to find the words to speak them. Rin had decided to leave the town quietly, knowing that if she saw the heavily pregnant miko or the ex-demon slayer, they would surely make it harder for her to part with the village. She had never had a real family – at least, that she could remember – but she imagined that must be what it was like.

The crone cleared her throat and broke the girl of her thoughts, her eyes snapping up to see a wrinkled face staring back at her. Kaede was ready to speak.

"So this be the day... You'll be leavin' us, I suppose," she sighed out, her voice raspy from both old age and her slight tobacco habit, "I knew this day would come, though I never thought it'd be so soon.." 

Rin swallowed and nodded, her eyes drawn to the fire in fear that she would burst into tears if she looked at the withered old woman. She was the closest thing she'd ever had to a grandmother figure, and now she'd have to leave her. It seemed she was always leaving something. 

"I had prepared for this day, child. I decided to put this together, in case you ever needed it." Her old calloused hand shook as she pulled a necklace from her sleeve, thrusting the thing at the young woman, who took the present in grace. She continued to talk. 

"It's a charm. You won't need it now, but it will be useful along the road." The necklace was large enough to fit on both of Ah-Un's necks at once, and was made of beautiful pearl-like beads, separated by black tooth-like charms with different characters etched into them. It was almost the opposite of Inuyasha's subduing charm necklace, albeit larger and much more elaborate. Rin's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of it, looking up at the old woman with perplexity written on her face. The old woman just cackled and coughed, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"No, my dear, it's not what you think it is. Inuyasha is a fool, he needs subduing at times. Your demon is much more cunning than that dimwit. No, this is a special charm; it was quite difficult to make."

"So.. What does it do?," she asked curiously, cocking her head to the side in an almost childish way, making the old hag smile almost sadly. 

"When the time comes, you'll know," she said cryptically, her eyes glazed over for just a split second, as if she were hit with a stroke. Knowing Kaede, that was rather probable. Rin blinked, her eyes studying the large ring of beads closely, as if it was some new sorcery from Kagome's time. 

"It's rather...huge," was all she could think of to say. Kaede burst into yet into another fit of hacks and cackles, nodding her head slightly at the innocent girl. "Aye. I had to make it large enough to suit its purpose. But, for now, I believe it's time for your departure. The night shall be on us soon."

Rin nodded and placed the beads in her kimono, underneath her second layer of clothing, hidden safely from view as she shuffled outside to meet a motley crew of anxious demons.

**A/N: Yaaay~ Another chapter done. C: I hope you're happy. I took precious time out of reading Howl's Moving Castle to write this. I have the next chapters planned out in my head, so hopefully it won't be as long before my next update.**

**Remember to R&R!**


	4. On the Road Again

**Hey guys! A little news. I placed 3rd in Born for Each Other at blogspot for best Sessh/Rin fic! C: Thanks to everyone who voted, and congratulations to icegirljenni on her win! Now, they're having a contest for Best Other-Coupling fic, including stories for InuTaisho/Izayoi, Miroku/Sango and Inuyasha/Kagome! I'm so going to read all of them. Anyway, on to my next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Even if I tried my hardest, I could never create something like Inuyasha. It's obviously not mine. :c**

Chapter 4: On the Road Again... Kind Of

Sesshoumaru sat underneath a cherry blossom tree, bathing in the glow of the morning peacefully before his ward found out where he was. He needed time to reflect on her decision, as he was sure she had to as well. His mind drifted to the petite girl yet again in his care, a smile daring to twitch at his lips. He forced it back, looking around underneath his bangs to make sure no one had seen that. How embarrassing...

Rin was not the young girl he had cared for previously, she was now obviously a full-grown woman. He had always seen her as a child, and he had never stopped to think that she would grow up. Sure, it was obvious that she would, but he had completely disregarded that thought when he agreed to let her follow him around when she was seven. Now she had the body of a goddess and the face of an angel, and Sesshoumaru wasn't sure what to do with himself. Her hips were full and curvaceous, as well as a small, taught waist. And her breasts.. Sesshoumaru stopped himself before he went farther, unconsciously clearing his own throat from the awkwardness he now felt. If he were physically capable, he'd be blushing.

He lifted his head to see a strange, yet familiar sight up ahead. Jaken was chasing the young girl around Ah-Un as she weaved flowers together in a wreath, the small kappa's face covered in natural herbs and dyes that the common women used as makeup. His cherry red lips and raccoon-lined dinner plates of eyes were filled with tears, the rage apparent on his face as Rin clamored up on top of Ah-Un's saddle, placing a flower crown on both of the beast's heads. Despite the annoyed look on Ah's face, Un looked as if he were glowing, purring and nuzzling Rin's neck and cheek affectionately with his snout.

Sesshoumaru sighed as the toad demon plopped himself down on the ground, the staff of two heads grimacing as he shrieked out in pain, tears rolling from his face as a string of curses came from his mouth.

"WHY, LORD SESSHOUMARU? WHY MUST YOU BRING THIS DIRTY NINGEN WITH US AGAIN AND TORTURE ME SO? I'VE BEEN LOYAL, WHY MUST YOU PUNISH MEEE?," came his obnoxious cries, carrying on the wind to Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears, which also picked up traces of Rin's laughter. He stood and was at their sides in seconds, his face emotionless but his eyes showing small traces of pain and severe annoyance. Both the human and toad shut their faces immediately, though Rin's grin did not fade one bit as Jaken sniffled and brought himself back onto his little feet.

"Come," is all the daiyoukai had to utter, and the small group was off, Rin humming happily the whole way.

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Later that night, they built a small camp in the woods, far enough away from the villagers not to be noticed but close enough so that they would be safe from demon attacks. Jaken was a small green ball curled up around his staff, his beak wide open and drooling as he slept very, very soundly. Ah-Un slept peacefully next to the fire, Ah's head rested on top of his brother's, as if using the demon's skull as a pillow.

The young girl lay next to her Master Jaken, using a pile of leaves as a pillow and a tattered old rag to cover her legs with as a blanket. She tossed and turned in her sleep, a distressed expression twisting her face and worrying her lord, her whimpers and whines growing louder by the second. She sat up abruptly and looked around, feverish and sweating as she slowly tried to remember why she was in the woods, her eyes falling to the fire as the memories came back.

_'Oh, right... Lord Sesshoumaru came for me..,' _she thought, still a little groggy from her restless nap. That's when she realized that he must be watching her, and lifted her head to see him only inches away, kneeling on one knee and inspecting her form.

A blush crept up on her face. "Uhhh... Milord?," she asked in a meek voice, his stoic face snapping up to look at her, his eyes sweeping over her expression. Without a word, he moved to sit next to her, an arm shooting out around her waist and pulling her to his side. The action was so fast that she couldn't register what happened, and when she looked to her lord's face for an answer, it was as emotionless as ever and fixated on the flames. When he didn't answer, she turned her head to face the fire and sighed just barely, her body relaxing against his.

"This Sesshoumaru can be defeated by no one." He had stated this fact many times, but this time, it had a secret meaning. He insinuated that she had no need to be afraid of her nightmares or of anyone else, because he was there, and that's all that mattered. At least, that's what she got out of it.

Rin smiled softly to herself and rested her head on his shoulder as his deadly claws deigned to play with the ends of her long hair at her hips, the fragile girl drifting off now to a place of peace, a place where her lord ruled her heart and her mind, the two chasing demons and conquering cities together like in her fondest imaginations.

Little did they know, an even stronger entity was awaiting them, watching this cozy little scene with a snarl in his heart.

**A/N:**

**CLIFFHANGERRR! Muahahaha! Anyway, I was watching Shrek 2 while writing this, so I'm sorry if it's a little... Weird.**

**I hope you enjoyed it, anyway!**

**R&R!**


	5. Prelude

**Holy crap... So, it's been a long ass time. Don't worry though guys, I didn't forget you. I seriously just got so busy because of college that I never had the time or inspiration to finish this fic up, even though I thought about it once a week. I'm going to attempt it now, and I'm not sure how long it'll take, but I'm determined to actually complete this one. So, here it is! I hope you all love Chapter 5.**

**DISCLAIMER: Obviously these characters don't belong to me.**

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><p>Chapter 5: Prelude<p>

They hadn't acknowledged each other's existence for months. It was as if it never happened, a flitting dream created by her feverish mind-nightmares persisting to haunt her every evening since then, yet he didn't comfort her again. It was as if someone was trying to tell her something but couldn't find the right words, only able to reach out by scaring the living daylights out of her while she slept. She wanted desperately to crack the code and end this cycle of fear, unable to get a decent night's sleep in what felt like ages.

Something was definitely off; Ah-Un was unusually quiet, both their heads flitting from side to side at times as if they were hearing an imaginary racket from a faroff place, their anticipation making them stiff and anxious. Conversely Jaken was louder than usual, screeching at the not-so-small girl every time he got the chance, which unfortunately was quite often. She didn't really seem to mind it much, giggling at him and infuriating him even further, entertaining herself by flicking the burdensome conical hat on his head to make it fall into his eyes and blind him.

And poor Sesshoumaru, he seemed utterly distressed. Well, as distressed as a non-emotional daiyokai such as himself could get, translating itself as mild annoyance on his normally impassive features. Rin, being human, couldn't usually tell when something awful was going to happen, but even she sensed that the air was...strange. There was a horrid feeling looming over the entire party, and it was making all of them irritable and melancholy.

So Rin did what she did best; she sang. Every minute of every day, until her throat started to get sore and raspy and her head began to ache. She would sing in high pitches and in low ones, about things like the trees and the flowers to the moon and the stars, in fast and slow tempos. Every word you could think of strung together melodically, carried to faraway places on the wind, serenading the meadows and mountains they passed by.

_"__**Usure naide anata yo **__/ I don't want you to fade_

_**Wazukara toiki wo kikasete hoshii **__/ Let me hear even a sigh_

_**Chiisana koto wo dareku **__/ A small heartbeat that isn't there_

_**Anata yo koko made oita... **__/ I want you, come here..."_

"STOP. SINGING. YOU CRETIN," came the shriek of a Lilliputian green toad, moving to smack her on the back of the noggin with his staff of two heads. But he was too slow, and ended up striking Un right on his broad neck, making the dragon roar in annoyance and glare hatefully at the little imp as if to say, "I could eat you right now and no one would care." He promptly shut his trap, looking away as nervous sweat began to bead on his leathery forehead. Cackling, the girl straightened her back and haughtily resumed her seat on Ah-Un's back, stroking their manes affectionately as she stuck her tongue out at the sniveling little sourpuss.

Sesshoumaru tried to ignore their shenanigans behind him, secretly hoping for another verse of her song. One of his few pleasures was listening to her sanguine voice trill lyrics he had never heard before, most likely either human folk songs or tunes she made up on her own while waiting for him. He liked to think that it was the latter.

_"__**Torimodoseru haru ni **__/ The springtime will never come again_

_**Guren no hana ga saku **__/ The crimson lotus is in bloom"_

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><p>It was colder than usual, that night. Sesshoumaru, being run wild by his canine instincts, instructed Jaken to look after his not-so-young ward while he trekked (or flew, rather) around the woods to ensure their safety. Rin knew something big must be coming in order for her Lord to leave her alone at the camp, remembering the countless times when she was a child that she was taken as collateral to force the mighty Daiyokai's hand in one battle or another. He was haunted by those exact memories, being the primary reason he dropped her off with his half-brother and his human. Of course, he never admitted that. Losing Rin only got more and more terrifying every time it happened.<p>

So he was gone, sensing an immense amount of power following them all the way from the hag's village. Technically it was his village, but he decided to let the humans keep that land. For now.

Unbeknownst to him, the creature he was searching for was not in the direction he was going. In fact, it was the complete opposite of where Sesshoumaru was headed; on purpose. He was hiding his energy in order to remain in the shadows, undetected and under the radar, waiting for the chance to make a move.

_'Who would've thought,' _the figure pondered, surveying the area from the trees, nimbly moving from branch to branch every time the wind shook the leaves free, _'that the great Lord of the Western Lands would care for such a feeble creature as a human woman.'_

He chuckled to himself, finally planting his feet down on the solid ground and skulking ominously through the underbrush, using the dancing shadows of the fire as his guise. _'He has become weak. He doesn't deserve to rule all this land, after my father so generously handed it to him,'_ he sneered, his vermillion eyes clouding over with pain, as if he recalled something he rather wouldn't have.

_'He doesn't deserve it! He doesn't deserve a damn thing he has!'_

He crept closer to a small hunched over maiden, no doubt slipping into slumber while fretting over a certain silver-haired aristocrat. He inspected her a bit closer, noting her long raven hair and slim figure, milky skin practically glowing under the moon as her vulnerability radiated off of her in waves. She whimpered a little and pulled her knees even closer to her chest, making her seem even more minuscule in the dim light. A pint-sized kappa snored obnoxiously nearby, cuddling his wooden staff close and accumulating a pool of saliva under his grapefruit-sized cranium. The man's scowl only darkened even more as he reached down to the girl, wrapping his pale fingers tightly around her slender neck.

_**"I will destroy everything he loves."**_

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, it's been a long time since I wrote anything that isn't an essay, so I'm really rusty. And this chapter is extremely short Please forgive me! I probably should edit this more, but I'm too excited to finally post to be thorough. Anyway, the song lyrics are from "Guren" by the GazettE, who I was listening to a lot while writing this. I highly recommend them!~ I hope you liked this chapter, I was really excited to finally write for fun again. R&R!**


	6. Dog's Day

Chapter 6: Dog's Day

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><p>Her head was pounding, her chest was tight. It felt as if someone had just squeezed almost all of her life from her, only keeping her alive enough to hear her scream as she barreled of a cliff. She was only half correct. Pushing herself up from the dirt floor below on her elbow, the shift in gravity made her dizzy, her hand moving to rub the side of her head. It felt wet. And it stung. She was definitely bleeding, but it was too dark to be sure-at least, too dark around her. Her light brown eyes were wide as they darted around, desperately trying to see where she was and if she was in danger.<p>

But she couldn't see anything. It was pitch black, which was strange since she and Jaken had fallen asleep next to a fire. Speaking of, she couldn't hear the grumbling of his little lungs as he snored. Where was he?

"J-Jaken?," she yelped, clearing her throat and hoping that it made her sound less pathetic, having dropped the whole 'Master' thing weeks ago. She was too old to be calling that little pupa by a title, she could easily kick him into the sun if she wanted to. But that wasn't important now anyway; she just needed to find someone, anyone, to make sure she was safe.

"Jaken! Jaken, where are you?," she called out a little louder, scrambling to her feet and stumbling around, hoping at least to kick him awake and hear him scream at her for being such a 'clumsy human ignoramus', because at least then she would know he was near. Yet he wasn't. She couldn't even hear the roaring furnace that was Ah-Un's breathing, although she was sure that they had to be around here somewhere.

Someone had to be around.

Someone.

She began to run towards where she thought the edge of the forest was, slamming her frail body into tree after tree so hard that she thought she would double over and vomit, no doubt covered in bruises after the first few seconds. Her legs ached, her head was splitting, her lungs were running out of oxygen... Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes as she started to worry that she would never find either of her companions, stranded in the woods all alone until morning, left to die at the hands of some forest-dwelling ogre or a starving pack of wolves. She shuddered at that thought and fought through the fear, willing her tears back into their ducts as she closed her eyes and charged through to the clearing.

The smell of burning flesh and foliage was intense, swallowing her up in its disgustingly pungent aura as she fell to her knees. She must have been sprinting for at least a half hour, her entire body wanting to do nothing more than break down and give up, her energy dissipating quickly. She had been so preoccupied with her goal of getting out of the forest that she hadn't thought of what might happen if she left that spot, the last place that her Lord knew where she was. She didn't think about whether or not he wanted her to stay there to guard her from whatever it was that took Jaken and Ah-Un, or if he would even be able to _find_ her anywhere else. She was frustrated with how stupid she was, slamming her fist into the ground as a sob escaped her throat, stubbornly still refusing to cry. That's when she noticed it. Her fist had landed directly on something solid, something that was definitely not grass or soil. It was firm, but still...squishy? She squinted, trying to make out the shape in the dim moonlight.

She gasped. _Jaken._ He was in horrible shape, his staff snapped in two and unceremoniously plunged directly through his stomach, pinning him to the Earth like a beetle fastened to some sixth-grader's science fair presentation. And the worst was, he seemed to have been there for a while. Reaching a shaky hand out to him, she whispered his name over and over again, only picking up speed the closer she got to him. Her hand rested on his smooth forehead, his tough skin much chillier than usual, both from blood loss and the cold air. "Jaken.. Oh Kami, Jaken... Why would they do this..?," she asked herself, unable to tear her eyes from his corpse as a whole slew of questions raced through her mind. Who did this? And where they still around? Where was Sesshoumaru? And Ah-Un? Why wasn't she killed?

Hearing a groaning noise from in front of her she snapped back to her senses, shooting to her feet and ripping the decrepit staff from Jaken's innards, pointing it at the darkness aimlessly. "Who is it? Did you do this to him?!," she practically screamed, taking a timid step forward as she scanned the area around her to find the source of the noise. If she had kept walking, she would've tripped over him.

There was a man at her feet-if you could call him that. He was a boy, around her age, with long messy hair that fell into his eyes and jutted out from underneath himself in all directions, deep auburn and matted with blood. His own blood. His eyes were completely black, no distinction between iris and pupil, and were just barely still open. He was staring in her general direction but seemed to be looking past her, as if there were some faint memory playing behind her like a movie. He chuckled, a guttural low rumble, his voice much to boisterous and deep to be coming from such a small form. His laughter soon turned into hacking and wet coughs, his lungs obviously filled with blood. Whatever he had been wearing before was shredded to pieces, his body half covered in patches of fur and crimson and nothing else. The gauges in his body were so deep that he almost seemed to be cut in half, one of his feet missing completely, no doubt flung somewhere half across the field. She understood now; he had been attacked in the middle of transformation, which was a very vulnerable state for a demon to be in.

"Who? That squawking tadpole?," he choked out, smirking a little as if he didn't have enough strength left to even grin at her maliciously, "I didn't know...he could be important to anyone."

Rin shook now with anger instead of unbearable pain, all of her weakness and fear turning suddenly into rage. "He was my friend! How dare you do such a thing to a living creature?! Have you no respect for life?," she growled, grabbing the furry jerk by a tuft of blond hair on his chest and pulling him closer to her, "**Answer me.**"

He spat out another painful laugh, his head rolling back from both lack of strength and emphasis as he mocked her. "Respect for life..? Do you not know who your _Lord_ is? The..aristocratic _assassin?_ He isn't exactly...the most pure individual...in the world..," he rasped, clinging onto life just long enough to taunt her, "He's killed more...men than any other mortal...in this country. You don't exactly have a right... To lecture me... on...preserving life... Stupid girl.."

Her entire body was quivering at this point, her stomach knotted up so tight that she was sure this time that she would puke on him. However, he wasn't even worth that. He wasn't worth losing her bodily fluids over. She threw his nearly lifeless body back down, face down in his own gore.

"Where is he," she demanded, kicking him hard in the side and receiving a strangely satisfying grunt from him in the process, "My Lord."

His body was racked with coughs and cackling again, only this time even more delirious and irritating. "A human girl... How could he fall so low...? Just like his...bastard father.."

Rin cracked him on the back of the head with the staff, not wanting to deal with him any longer.

**"Tell me."**

Another bout of laughter. Another mouthful of blood.

"Stupid girl...," he wheezed, "I killed him."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hah! Another cliffhanger. Hope you don't hate me too much. I mean, I'll probably be updating this regularly now, so don't expect to wait too long. I already have a feeling everyone's going to skewer me for killing Jaken, but hey, no one ever kills off the toad! Anyway, I hope it was enjoyable. Time for me to actually **_**do homework **_**now... R&R!**


	7. Redemption

Chapter 7: Redemption

_'No, he wasn't dead_,' she kept telling herself, her eyes as wide as saucers while his words rattled her to the core, '_Lord Sesshoumaru is the most powerful being in the land. He would never allow himself to be killed by some furry little wimp like that...' _Her eyes shifted downward to the half-dead boy at her feet, brown eyes narrowing in resentment and contempt.

"**Liar**," she spat, as if sharing words with him were a major offense in itself. He wasn't worth her breath. "Milord would never fall at the claws of some weakling like you, he's much too strong and proud to let that happen." She sounded tough and stalwart, but on the inside she was breaking down, suddenly so unsure of her master's capabilities. _'He would never...leave me alone like this... Right?'_

The lad could barely breathe at this point, yet had enough energy to raise a maimed hand. He pointed ambiguously forward. "Then...," he hissed, his lungs like a balloon deflating, "Go.. See for yourself..." His arm collapsed back to the ground as his whole body squeezed out its last pant, a disturbingly lunatic smile still plastered to his face even after meeting oblivion. Rin dug her foot into his side one more time, a forceful punt to make sure he wasn't still alive before taking off in the way that he showed her. She had to know. Even if it was a trap, she had to at least see that he was well before even thinking about her own self. She was so sure that he would be alive, standing there stoically in a pool of someone else's blood without even a speck of damage to his attire. He would look at her nonchalantly as always, turning his back without so much as a word and begin to stride away, assuming that she would follow.

Yet... What if?

She knew that the friend-murdering demon had been attacked and essentially demolished while transforming into his true demonic form-or back into his humanoid one-and it was not completely impossible that her own Lord could be caught in the middle of metamorphosis... On top of that, she knew how irrational he got when he panicked, and if she and Jaken were assaulted, he wouldn't exactly be calm and collected. She could see him rushing into battle without any regard for himself, hair whipping into his eyes as crimson bled into them, his jaw elongating to show a full set of sharp fangs. And a sword going directly through his stomach when he least expected it. She forced back her tears, searching desperately for any speck of silver she could spot.

* * *

><p>Daylight was starting to stain the sky tangerine instead of the usual deep indigo, signifying that the sun would soon be rising. Rin was gasping for breath, the area surrounding her now coming in to clear view in the dawn. It was a complete wreck; Jaken had scorched a good fraction of the field with his staff of two heads, obviously trying to incinerate the young demon who eventually ended him. She could practically feel the overwhelming fear that he must have endured just by seeing the blackened earth, making her breath even more short and labored.<p>

"He isn't here...," she whimpered to herself, looking around frantically for any sign of her indomitable lord, "...why isn't he here? Where are you? Lord Sesshoumaru?! MY LORD!"

She had barely enough energy to call out for him, her whole world spinning and crumbling from underneath her feet. Jaken was dead. Even Ah-Un was nowhere to be found, but she wasn't too worried about them. They probably flew off as soon as they saw that Jaken couldn't even fend for himself... At least, that's what she had hoped.

She couldn't hold it in anymore. She began to cry. And not just whimper-sniffle cry, but she _sobbed _until her throat hurt and her body went numb. She hadn't been this alone since...since... Since...  
>Since her family was slaughtered.<p>

But instead of giving up, she put on a brave face and wildly wiped her eyes with her forearms, getting dirt in them and making it worse. She ignored the stinging and trekked forward, the open scar she had on the side of her head now crusted over and beginning to heal, her entire body caked in a thin layer of sweat and dirt. She was sure she looked like some sort of specter, trudging through a burnt-down field with her shoulders slumped forward, tears streaking through the muck caked on her face.

It had been almost two hours now since she had woken up in the middle of the woods, cold and alone. And hour and a half since she'd found Jaken. If Sesshoumaru was laying somewhere in a field, bleeding and slashed open, he would only be clinging to life by a thread by now. He healed quicker than normal mortals, but if he was really so hurt that he couldn't go back for Rin... She was too terrified to think about it.

"Milord! Lord Sesshoumaru! LORD SESSHOUMARU!," she yelled, her voice only growing louder and more shrill every time she shouted, _"SESSHOUMARU!"_

Not so far off in the distance, she heard a faint rustling of leaves, followed by a cluster of birds cawing and tweeting insanely and flying off at full speed towards anywhere but there. She inhaled sharply, shooting off toward the racket.

_'He's alive.'_

She ran until her legs felt as if they were going to fall off, fighting so hard for breath that she thought she could pass out at any moment, still barely recovering from having every ounce of air crushed from her throat just earlier that night. He was so close, she could just barely make out his form.

He was on the ground, and it was obvious he hadn't moved much in quite a while. His bone armor was completely smashed to pieces, fragments scattered all over the ground within a four yard radius, his entire upper body exposed as his clothes were shredded with the armor. He looked horrible. Gashes marred his pearl skin, stained red and bespattered with dirt and ash, making him almost unrecognizable. His once pure white hair was now tangled with the same grime covering his skin, the magenta stripes on his face jagged, his eyes still glossed over with red. Just as she had thought, he had been caught off guard while he was changing and became overpowered by the young man.

His head was pointed in her direction, but it was as if he wasn't seeing her, just staring off in the distance with an anguished expression painting his hard features. He really was dying, right in front of her.

Her knees buckled underneath herself as she inspected him, almost able to see his innards through a gouge in his side, his light breathing making her even more anxious. With shaky hands she took his head and gently shifted it into her lap, making sure not to hurt him too much in the process. A small whine escaped from between his fangs as his eyelids started to droop a bit, as if he was acknowledging her presence, his talons twitching ever so slightly. Weeping was much too casual of a word to use to describe what she was doing.

Cradling his mangled body close, she wailed and screamed, doubling over his body to keep him even closer to her. She could practically feel his lifeforce slipping from between her fingers like grains of sand, and she was desperately struggling to keep all the particles in her palms. She never had imagined losing him like this. She never imagined losing him forever.

Between all of her choked sobs and mewls of his name, she could hear a small rumbling from the center of his chest. She leaned closer, trying to listen.

_"Rr... Rrrri... Rin," _came a faint growl, a soft hand entangling itself in her hair. Looking down at him she could finally see a tiny flame of recognition in his hazy eyes, a flicker of consciousness underneath the pain. It only made her break down more, her whole upper body falling over his as her frame was racked with sobs.

Something was uncomfortable, though. She felt something hard dig into her rib cage from inside of her robe, and this time it wasn't an emotion-driven pain. The enchantment necklace Kaede gave her was mushed between them, as if begging to be noticed. Quickly, she pulled the beads from her kimono.

Without any further thought, she hurriedly propped Sessh up and let the beads fall around his neck, hoping that this was what Kaede gave them to her for. Praying madly under her breath, Rin pulled him even closer, her nose buried into his neck as his last shuddering breath escaped.

Light. That was the last thing she remembered seeing, the necklace glowing with such an intensity that she was sure he would catch fire from the brilliance.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Aaaaand.. Another chapter down. c: I hope you guys don't kill me for yet another cliffhanger, but, I can almost guarantee a quick update again. I seriously worked on this chapter all day.. Even in my classes. ^^; I hope it was worth it! One more chapter to go~ Are you all excited? R&R!**


	8. Reunited

Chapter 8: Reunited

* * *

><p>When the light faded, she finally opened her eyes.<p>

He was laying there in her arms, almost completely healed-the scars were still there, but that was to be expected. Kaede's powers had faded in recent years, her age finally catching up with her after decades of healing and protecting her people.

His creamy skin was only slightly flawed by the red slices, and to Rin, they seemed to be beautiful. It was proof that he had lived and fought, that he had survived despite all the odds. They made him look even sturdier, someone that she could rely on in any situation. If it had any other time, her face would've been flushed completely pink; her Lord laying in her lap with his shirt missing, allowing her to see every muscle and curve of his flesh. She had expected him to feel heavy and firm against her, but he was...surprisingly supple.

His eyes slowly drifted open, his eyes rolling forward from the back of his head as he had just been pulled back from the brink of death. They were rich amber, not garnet like when he was changing forms, clear and not hazy. The stripes on his cheeks were smooth again like fangs instead of jagged, jutting across an expanse of white and drawing more attention to his almond eyes. Her eyes wandered across his apricot lips, and she got the strangest urge... Until her gaze met his. He had been watching her watching him.

Her cheeks flared up, blushing fiercely.

Almost forgetting himself, a smile tugged on the corners of his lips, threatening to burst out. But he contained it, instead reaching up to caress her cheek in his hand, eyes narrowing slightly when his eyes fixed onto the side of her head.

"You're bleeding," he murmured, his voice a rough rumble from the depths of his chest. She smiled and threw her arms around him, making his eyes widen-but only slightly. "Lord Sesshoumaru..," she whispered, burying her face in his neck as she practically laid on top of him, "It really is you..."

He almost laughed, snorting lightly instead in response. "This Sesshoumaru cannot be bested so easily."  
>Always so arrogant, even after such a traumatic experience. It was a trait both he and his brother shared. She giggled a little at his reply, just happy to hear him speaking again. Despite her happy laughter, his skin felt wet underneath where her face was, making him realize that she had actually been shedding tears over him. He frowned slightly, shifting his weight a bit and raising his hand to rest on her head. Because he had moved, he became aware of a strange weight on his chest, as if he were wearing beads..<p>

"Rin," he grumbled. She raised her head to look at him, cocking her head to the side curiously at the sound of her name. His head was faced downward, his eyes fixed on the white rosary around his neck.

"They're...an enchantment Lady Kaede gave me," she admitted meekly, veering her gaze away from him.

He was silent for a while, making her nervous.

"Did you do this?," he asked flatly with barely an inflection on the end of his words to signify a question, a sign that she knew he was irritated.

"You were...dying, milord," she muttered.

"This Sesshoumaru has no need for a human's assistance."

"_You were dying,_" she repeated, only this time with force.

He breathed out audibly through his nose, lifting himself up off the ground on his elbow, left eye twitching a bit to cope with the discomfort his wounds caused him. She sat upright to help him up, wrapping her thin digits around his arm and tugging him forward, gaining nothing but a stern look from him. Her eyebrows knitted together in frustration as she began to pout, indirectly telling him to let her assist. He just shifted his gaze forward, allowing her to pull him to a sitting position.

"Why can't you just let me help every once in a while? I'm not completely useless, you know! It's not-," she began, only to be cut off by his hand abruptly grabbing her wrist. Without warning he pulled her close to his chest, his face still emotionless and unchanging despite their position, his eyes still unable to meet hers.

"You should have stayed in the forest."

Her pout turned to unmitigated anger as she tried to pull away from him, without much success. "You, Ah-Un, and Jaken were all gone! I knew something had to be wrong, and you just want me to stay put? I can't just sit back an-"

"**Let me protect you**," he stated, holding her close to his body in an iron grip, not letting her slip away from him.

"I am a grown woman, _**let me protect you for once.**_ I am not the weak child I once was! Why can't you see me like that?," she insisted, her eyes burning into his as she defied him for the first time in her life, "I don't need you to coddle me anymore. And sometimes, you might even need _me_. Why can't you admit that?"

She couldn't see his eyes through the hair fallen into his face, but she was sure he was displeased. His grip on her loosened considerably, and she relaxed more in his arms.

"I am so aware of it that it hurts," he strained out from between clenched teeth, only ever using first person when he was extremely blighted, "You have grown so much that you don't even need me anymore, and I'm beginning to realize.." He paused. "That maybe I need you more than you need me." The words physically hurt him to say, his pride getting stabbed directly in the gut repeatedly with every consonant. His demon blood was screaming at him for being so weak.

Rin chuckled a little and wrapped her arms around his neck, knowing the kind of turmoil going on inside of him. He would have never told her that unless he was really severely relieved to have her back.

"That's not true..," she practically purred, the smile evident in her voice, "Because I'll always need you by my side."

He swallowed, the intense burden of having to be so callous all the time finally dissipating, his muscles relaxing ever so slightly. He wrapped his arms even tighter around her, her body pulled snugly against his in an awkwardly stiff embrace. He still wasn't exactly sure how to hold a woman.

"Rin..," he started, his voice wavering slightly. She shook her head.

"You don't have to say it, milord...," she interjected, resting her forehead on his shoulder, his usual scent of grass and musk now mixed with metal and soil. It wasn't the worst odor, and she was sure she didn't smell like roses and lavender either.

His hand was touching her face again, forcing her to tilt her head up to look at him. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought that his eyes were filled with relief.. And something else that she couldn't quite name.

"You don't have to call me that," he asserted, his thumb running lightly across her chin, stroking it languidly as if he were contemplating something.

"What should I call you then?"

He smirked, and without saying anything, dipped his head down and pressed his lips against her forehead, answering her without any words at all. Her heart slammed against her chest, her entire body tingling as he rested there for a while, keeping her in his own little world before they had to pull back. Before they had to face reality. She practically melted in his lap, her cheeks almost hurting from how wide her smile was. Finally pulling back, he refused to meet her eyes, obviously embarrassed at himself for doing such a lewd thing. Her grin broadened somehow, if that was even possible. Somewhere inside this bulky powerful demon, a shy boy lay dormant; one who was too afraid to kiss girls and say sweet things. She choked back a laugh at this prospect.

* * *

><p>It didn't take too long for them to reach the boy's carcass, both of them walking side-by-side for the first time. He shortened his strides to match hers, and in turn, she quickened her pace to accommodate his. His mokomoko was stained maroon from the battle, yet Rin was still attached to it, cuddling up in it as they strolled. The boa was long enough to rest on his shoulder and still wrap around her tiny frame.<p>

"So he had his hands around my throat?," she pondered, watching her hands as they stroked and intertwined with his fur, Sesshoumaru staring off in front of them.

"Yes."

"Is that why you attacked him?"

He sighed. "Actually, it was Jaken who assaulted him first."

Rin went silent, her jaw taught as she remembered seeing his corpse laying on the ground in front of her, tossed there like some raggedy doll. She had already informed her master of Jaken's fate. All he did was nod solemnly, as if he had predicted it.

They both stayed silent for a while.

"Was...he really that powerful?," Rin implored carefully, looking up at his profile and inspecting it, a twinge of pain apparent in his usually pristine features.

"Not everyone can take on a daiyokai," he replied coolly, peering at her from the corner of his eye, "He was a black bear. Dogs do not normally win against bears."

Rin nodded thoughtfully, closing her eyes as she tried to envision the battle. Of course, in her head her Lord had won easily, taking down the black bear with grace. Her thoughts drifted...

Jaken had protected her... She had always thought that he had resented her for gaining more affection from their Lord, but it turns out, he had cared for her enough to put his life on the line to save her.

And he was gone now, forever. Rin had a lapse in memory for a few moments after Sesshoumaru had pulled away and got excited, thinking that Tenseiga would bring him back to life. But it wouldn't. He had already been revived once with the sword.

Sesshoumaru sensed her heartache and pulled her firmly to his side with one arm around her shoulders, his fingers lightly pressing into her as he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"Jaken spent many long years in my service. He is likely relieved to finally be at rest."

* * *

><p>"Sessh-ou-ma-ru~," she dragged out every syllable, the name rolling off of her tongue like candy, sweet and addicting. A shiver crawled up his spine. He would never get tired of hearing her speak his name.<p>

"Sesshouuuumaru~!," she sang, her face all smiles and warmth as she repeated his name, never able to speak so freely before. How long had she been dying to have permission to say his name so frivolously?

"Sesshou-," she began again, only to be cut off abruptly by his lips crashing against hers, effectively shutting her mouth with his own. She had been repeating his name for about ten minutes now, saying it in different pitches and octaves to see which way she liked it. As much as he loved to hear his name from her lips, she was starting to get annoying. It had only been a week since the last battle, and ever since then Rin had been utterly depressed, moping around and refusing to eat much. Sesshoumaru had just returned for her, after flying off to find them some new clothes, of course. They were staying in one of his many domains spread across his land, this one in the shape of a small shrine-one built many years ago to worship his father. The people in the region loved and revered his father almost as a god, and his father loved them back by ruling over them benevolently, which is why Sesshoumaru had inherited so much land upon his death.

He pulled away from the young girl, rendering her speechless. He had kissed her before right before he left to find supplies, but it still caught her off guard. She looked up at him with a dreamy smile, her eyes dazed and fuzzy. He just shook his head.

"Humans are strange creatures."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: WOO! Okay, this fic is almost over... :c But I am planning more in the future! So no worries. I think the next chapter will be the last, and I hope I didn't write Sesshoumaru too badly. He seemed a little out of character to me, but there's really no way for him to be in a romance fic without bending his personality a bit. Well, I hope you enjoyed~ R&R!**


	9. Coda (Final)

Chapter 9: Coda

The sun was finally setting over the village after a long day of unbearably humid weather, bringing immense relief to the population living there. Kaede was thankful for the sunshine and the warmth but still prayed for rain, for fear of an upcoming drought wiping out her crops. Carrying a basket of freshly harvested herbs, she meandered into her home sluggishly, grunting all the while from her achy bones and muscles.

"Geez ya old woman, why don't you just throw yourself into the well and end your pain already. It might kill ya faster," came the repugnant gripe from a familiar hanyou. Kaede just sighed and slowly planted herself next to him on the floor, with some help from Kagome, of course. "Thank you, dear," she panted out, relieved to finally be sitting again.

"Unlike some useless oafs, I actually contribute around here," Kagome bit back at the dog-eared dolt, making said half-demon crumple up his nose and make a disdainful noise in the back of his throat.

"Then be useful and get that bastard out of here!"

Inuyasha stabbed a thumb ambiguously at the empty doorway, obviously mentioning someone who was not present in the room and making himself look like a lunatic. However, everyone knew who he was referring to.

"Now, now Inuyasha," Kaede scolded, closing her eyes as she spoke, "He is older than thou, and of much higher status. It is not wise to speak thus of Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha snorted in derision, plopping his head on his hand as he laid on his side leisurely, his elbow keeping his head up as he yapped on.

"I just _hate _how he struts around like he owns the damn place."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him, stirring the soup over the fire lazily as she added some more of the herbs the old woman collected, tasting it. "He _does_ own the place, idiot," she sneered, shaking her head at her husband's sheer stupidity. Inuyasha glared back at her, rolling over so he didn't have to look at her smug face.

"Oh, right. Aren't he and Rin supposed to drop by before going back to their place?," Kagome asked, her eyes lighting up at the mention of the other human girl, "We should've invited Sango and Miroku too! We could all be together like old times-"

"If it were old times, that pompous jackass would be trying to murder me," Inuyasha huffed, earning a hot ladle to the head for interrupting his lovely spouse. He growled and rubbed his head where it had made contact, about to jump up and start yelling like a madman when a cheerful blushing girl appeared in the entryway.

Kagome gasped in joy, beaming at the cute woman standing in the doorway and waving her into the hut. "If it isn't the Lady of the West!"

* * *

><p>"Let us <strong>never<strong> do that again."

Sesshoumaru was walking slowly to keep up with his small companion, his eyes narrowed in thought as he thought back to what had just occurred. His dumbass little brother wouldn't stop running his mouth about Sesshoumaru taking a human mate after spending his entire life claiming that he despised humans, so naturally he had to shut him up with a swift claw to the face. Of course, neither Rin or Kagome took too kindly to this, screeching at them to stop fighting. After that, it was a blur of yelling, crying, and his brother's choking gasps as he strangled the daylights out of him.

Rin sighed deeply and closed her eyes, wrapping her fingers tighter around his hand as she tried hard not to get angry again. "If you two could keep your tempers in check, this wouldn't be a problem. I swear, we can't spend three minutes in this village without you two getting into a duel to the death."

Sesshoumaru scoffed and turned his head away from her. "He-"

"_Don't you dare say '**he started it'**."_

His eyes rolled over to look at her, raising an eyebrow at her brashness. "Oh? And what are you going to do if I say such a thing?"

Rin smirked and kept looking forward, squeezing his hand in hers as she flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "The one who can bear you heirs makes the rules~"

Sesshoumaru snarled. She was right, and he hated it.

* * *

><p>Laying in his strong arms underneath the covers in what could only be called a fortress-like castle, Rin cuddled up to his side with her cheek on his chest, listening to his steady breathing as he drifted off to sleep for the first time in what seemed like forever. He could only sleep soundly with her near him, flesh on flesh, safe in his large bed. She smiled a little as she thought about all they had been through, playing with the beads she placed around his neck to restore his life just a few months prior. He wasn't allowed to take them off until he was ready to pass on, which he was sure wouldn't be until long after Rin had died and their offspring were grown enough to live on their own without him.<p>

Sighing gently through her nose, Rin thought about Jaken. He was practically like a brother to her-a weird, scaly, green brother, but a brother nonetheless. She could see him now, blowing a gasket as soon as he caught the two in bed together, disrobed and embracing each other. He would shoo her into her own room and get a firm smack on the back of the head from his Lord, causing the little toad-like creature to tear up and whine about Rin being more important than him as he ran away.

Maybe it was best he didn't live to see them get together. He only would've been miserable, feeling left out no matter what. Sure, he would've been happy for them eventually, but he would probably always harbor feelings of repulsion towards their relationship. No matter what, his Lord was a yokai, and Rin.. Was not.

She frowned and closed her eyes, nuzzling her nose into Sesshoumaru's neck as she felt a familiar pang in her heart, missing te little kappa dearly. Almost as if he could sense her hurt, Sesshoumaru shifted so he was laying on his side, pulling her closer with one arm around her back and his hand on the other arm tangled in her hair.

"What is it?," he grumbled, his eyes still heavy with sleep as he peeked out from under an eyelid at her.

Her cheeks flushed a bit as she smiled meekly at him, her fingers spreading out against his pectoral, "Nothing... Just thinking."

"Mm.. Well, stop. You're sighing against my skin and it's... Unnerving."

Rin chuckled and kissed at the tendon in his neck, his silver hair falling into her face as he rested his lips on top of her head, his eyes fluttering closed again.

"Remind me to thank Kaede next time we're in the village."

"You mean when _you're _in the village. This Sesshoumaru is not going back to that human village. Ever."

Rin remained silent for a little while, worrying Sesshoumaru. Did he upset her? Should he apologize? He had just gotten back in favor with her, too. Dammit.

When Rin erupted into giggles soon after, the daiyokai's eyebrows wrinkled together in confusion. He made an inquisitive noise in the back of his throat, cocking his head to the side slightly, much like the dog he was. "What now?"

Rin's giggling died down, and she lifted her head to look up at him and the sly look in her eyes made the mighty Sesshoumaru tremble and grow nervous. He knew that look. That was not a good look.

"You're going to have to go back soon."

A chill ran up his spine, he didn't know whether he should be impressed or terrified for his life at this point. Not many people made him this scared, especially humans. He gulped and braced for the worst.

"To announce my pregnancy."

His eyes went wide as he stared down at her grinning face, not really sure how to process this information. She didn't look like she was joking. This just confused him further.

"...your...what?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That's it! I hope you enjoyed this fic. It took a lot of my time and energy, and I'm pretty happy with it. Sessh is a little looser in this chapter, but I figured Rin would "liberate" him of his permanent grumpiness, if ya know what I mean. ;D (I'm allowed to make sexual innuendos because this is rated T. xD) Anyway, please read and review! I love reading your comments. :3 'Till the next fic, loves!**


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